Program aims to get kids playing soccer

Published: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 11:46 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | The world’s most popular sport has touched down at Matthews Elementary School, and its fifth-graders will soon experience what makes soccer such a favorite.

Through a joint effort by Matthews Elementary, the Northport Police Athletic League and University of Alabama students and staff, these elementary school students are learning all about the sport.

After an initial introduction and demonstration by players on the University of Alabama women’s soccer team, the students — around 60 total — will be using their last period on Tuesdays and, for those who so choose, after school on Thursdays, to play soccer.

“I was approached by Derrick Gardner with the Northport Police Department, and he said they were trying to find a way to get the Police Athletic League of Northport involved and back in action,” Matthews Elementary School principal Dr. David Scott said. “So they came to me with the idea about a pilot program with our school that would get them back involved with boys and girls from the neighborhood by way of some mini sports camps. The first one was the soccer camp.”

If this is deemed a success, Scott said, other PAL sports mini-camps may follow.

The soccer program will last three weeks and will conclude on a Saturday with a tournament where the kids can showcase their skills and put what they’ve learned into action.

Tim Pryor, a master’s student in sports management at the University of Alabama, is the project manager. He said the coaches will include PAL board member John Gillis and UA kinesiology professors Dr. Oleg Sinelnikov and Dr. John Vincent, all of whom have soccer backgrounds.

“Dr. Vincent played professionally overseas, and he coaches in the area now,” Pryor said, “and Oleg, I think he played professionally overseas, too.”

Each child will receive a new soccer ball to keep. The idea is that, once home, the kids will play soccer for a healthy, positive free-time endeavor.

“We’re going to teach the kids the game of soccer and do it in a fun way to keep them interested in it,” said Pryor, who grew up playing the sport. “And then once they get interested in what’s going on, we’ll start teaching them fundamentals and get them into the game. Every kid gets their own ball so they be able to practice at home, play games together.”

The kids will be split into teams. The program concludes with those teams playing one another in a tournament format after that third week.

“We‘ll do a tournament just to let them play and compete, just for fun,” Pryor said.

“It’s a pilot program,” Scott said, “but the two things I liked about the program is the fact that it would involve some community support and connect our boys and girls with some of those resources outside the school because it really involves not only the Police Athletic League of Northport, but also the University of Alabama and some of its sports programs. And then also the fact that it will teach sportsmanship and character building as well. Those are two things that drew my attention. And it gives our boys and girls an opportunity to get involved in a sport they probably wouldn’t ordinarily have been involved in.”

<p>TUSCALOOSA | The world's most popular sport has touched down at Matthews Elementary School, and its fifth-graders will soon experience what makes soccer such a favorite.</p><p>Through a joint effort by Matthews Elementary, the Northport Police Athletic League and University of Alabama students and staff, these elementary school students are learning all about the sport.</p><p> After an initial introduction and demonstration by players on the University of Alabama women's soccer team, the students — around 60 total — will be using their last period on Tuesdays and, for those who so choose, after school on Thursdays, to play soccer.</p><p>“I was approached by Derrick Gardner with the Northport Police Department, and he said they were trying to find a way to get the Police Athletic League of Northport involved and back in action,” Matthews Elementary School principal Dr. David Scott said. “So they came to me with the idea about a pilot program with our school that would get them back involved with boys and girls from the neighborhood by way of some mini sports camps. The first one was the soccer camp.”</p><p>If this is deemed a success, Scott said, other PAL sports mini-camps may follow.</p><p>The soccer program will last three weeks and will conclude on a Saturday with a tournament where the kids can showcase their skills and put what they've learned into action.</p><p>Tim Pryor, a master's student in sports management at the University of Alabama, is the project manager. He said the coaches will include PAL board member John Gillis and UA kinesiology professors Dr. Oleg Sinelnikov and Dr. John Vincent, all of whom have soccer backgrounds. </p><p>“Dr. Vincent played professionally overseas, and he coaches in the area now,” Pryor said, “and Oleg, I think he played professionally overseas, too.”</p><p>Each child will receive a new soccer ball to keep. The idea is that, once home, the kids will play soccer for a healthy, positive free-time endeavor.</p><p>“We're going to teach the kids the game of soccer and do it in a fun way to keep them interested in it,” said Pryor, who grew up playing the sport. “And then once they get interested in what's going on, we'll start teaching them fundamentals and get them into the game. Every kid gets their own ball so they be able to practice at home, play games together.”</p><p>The kids will be split into teams. The program concludes with those teams playing one another in a tournament format after that third week. </p><p>“We'll do a tournament just to let them play and compete, just for fun,” Pryor said. </p><p>“It's a pilot program,” Scott said, “but the two things I liked about the program is the fact that it would involve some community support and connect our boys and girls with some of those resources outside the school because it really involves not only the Police Athletic League of Northport, but also the University of Alabama and some of its sports programs. And then also the fact that it will teach sportsmanship and character building as well. Those are two things that drew my attention. And it gives our boys and girls an opportunity to get involved in a sport they probably wouldn't ordinarily have been involved in.”</p>